Preface
Scientists
often have the feeling that, through their work, they are learning about
some aspect of themselves. Physicists see this connection in their work; so do,
for example, psychologists and chemists. In the study of robotics, the connection
between the field of study and ourselves is unusually obvious. And, unlike
a science
that seeks only to analyze, robotics as currently pursued takes the engineering bent
toward synthesis. Perhaps it is for these reasons that the field fascinates
so many
of us.
The study of robotics concerns itself with the desire to synthesize
some aspects
of human function by the use of mechanisms, sensors, actuators, and computers.
Obviously, this is a huge undertaking, which seems certain to require
a multitude of
ideas from various "classical" fields.
Currently, different aspects of robotics research are carried out by experts in
various fields. It is usually not the case that any single individual has the entire
area
of robotics in his or her grasp. A partitioning of the field is natural to expect. At
a relatively high level of abstraction, splitting robotics into four major areas seems
reasonable: mechanical manipulation, locomotion, computer vision, and artificial
intelligence.
This book introduces the science and engineering of mechanical manipulation.
This subdiscipline of robotics has its foundations in several classical fields. The major
relevant fields are mechanics, control theory, and computer science. In this book,
Chapters 1 through 8 cover topics from mechanical engineering and mathematics,
Chapters 9 through 11 cover control-theoretical material, and Chapters 12 and 13
might be classed as computer-science material. Additionally, the book emphasizes
computational aspects of the problems throughout; for example, each chapter
that is concerned predominantly with mechanics has a brief section devoted to
computational considerations.
This book evolved from class notes used to teach "Introduction to Robotics" at
Stanford University during the autunms of 1983 through 1985. The first and second
editions have been used at many institutions from 1986 through 2002. The third
edition has benefited from this use and incorporates corrections and improvements
due to feedback from many sources. Thanks to all those who sent corrections to the
author.
This book is appropriate for a senior undergraduate- or first-year graduate-
level course. It is helpful if the student has had one basic course in statics and
dynamics and a course in linear algebra and can program in a high-level language.
Additionally, it is helpful, though not absolutely necessary, that the student have
completed an introductory course in control theory. One aim of the book is to
present material in a simple, intuitive way. Specifically, the audience need not be
strictly mechanical engineers, though much of the material is taken from that field.
At Stanford, many electrical engineers, computer scientists, and mathematicians
found the book quite readable.
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